AP College Football Poll 2023: Week 9 Top 25 Rankings Announced

Ohio State continues to look up at its biggest rival in the Associated Press Top 25 poll despite a 20-12 victory over Penn State on Saturday.

The Buckeyes remain at No. 3 going into Week 9, with Georgia and Michigan once again occupying the top two spots.

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Week 9 Associated Press Top 25 Poll

1. Georgia

2. Michigan

3. Ohio State

4. Florida State

5. Washington

6. Oklahoma

7. Texas

8. Oregon

9. Alabama

10. Penn State

11. Oregon State

12. Ole Miss

13. Utah

14. Notre Dame

15. LSU

16. Missouri

17. North Carolina

18. Louisville

19. Air Force

20. Duke

21. Tennessee

22. Tulane

23. UCLA

24. USC

25. James Madison

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Ohio State vs. Penn State almost came down to the fact one team had Marvin Harrison Jr. and the other didn't.

The OSU star had 11 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown to anchor an offense that was struggling to move the ball without running back TreVeyon Henderson and wideout Emeka Egbuka.

On the other side, the absence of a pass-catcher who could stretch the field was glaring. Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar threw for 191 yards and averaged 4.5 yards per attempt.

Either Penn State receivers couldn't get open at all, or head coach James Franklin didn't trust his sophomore signal-caller. Maybe it was a combination of the two. Regardless, everybody in Columbus, Ohio, and those watching from afar could see how safe and predictable the offense became.

Penn State is now 1-9 against Ohio State, and falling to what was a very beatable Buckeyes squad will lead even more fans to question whether Franklin can ever get the school over the hump.

That was just one of a few notable results from Week 8.

Florida State dropped 21 points in the fourth quarter to turn the tables on Duke and avert an upset. Blue Devils star Riley Leonard struggled mightily in his return to the field, throwing for 69 yards and an interception on 16 attempts.

While you were most likely sleeping, Mishael Powell came to the rescue for Washington as the Huskies cornerback had a pick-six in the fourth quarter that was the difference in a 15-7 win over Arizona State.

Every national champion had at least one game in which its mettle was tested against a weaker opponent. Last year, Georgia struggled to put away Kent State and then needed a fourth-quarter flurry to take down Missouri.

As much as Washington made a statement by beating Oregon, finding a way when you aren't at your best is just as much the sign of a great team.

Nobody will mistake Alabama for a great team, yet the Crimson Tide keep finding a way to stay on the fringe of the College Football Playoff race.

It looked like Tennessee was going to put the final nail in Bama's coffin after a six-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Joe Milton III gave the Vols a 20-7 lead. Instead, the Tide scored 27 unanswered points in the second half.

For another heavy hitter, the CFP dream is definitively over after Week 8. A 38-yard field goal by Utah's Cole Becker as time expired relegated USC to its second straight defeat.

The game was another indictment of the Trojans defense as Utes junior Bryson Barnes had his best performance of the season, finishing 14-of-23 for 235 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. For context, he had thrown for 398 yards and one touchdown in his past four games combined.

It's not like head coach Lincoln Riley is already on the hot seat, but fans were probably hoping for more from the program now into his second year.

Utah, meanwhile, will attempt to end another school's national championship aspirations when it hosts Oregon, which improved to 6-1 with a 38-24 win over Washington State. Losing to Washington was a setback for the Ducks, but they still might have a path to the CFP semifinals if they can run the table the rest of the way.

Aside from that encounter, Week 9 is light on marquee matchups.

A road game against Wisconsin could be tricky for Ohio State coming of such a big emotional high. Upsetting UCLA in the Rose Bowl would be a great way for Colorado to atone for its collapse two weeks ago against Stanford. Florida and Georgia are slated to renew their annual rivalry in Jacksonville, Florida.